4 Truths About Anger Over The Presidential Election

Millions of people from all across the nation voted for the candidate that they believed would be the best choice as the next President of the United States earlier this week. If you voted, and your candidate for President wasn't elected, then you are probably experiencing a number of emotions: You might be feeling sad, disappointed, confused, hopeless, numb … but for some people, the feeling that may likely stand out head and shoulders above the rest, is the feeling of anger.

If you are experiencing feelings of anger right now, because your candidate lost the election, please consider that while the Presidential Election is over, there is always a private election going on within you, where different emotions such as anger, fear, anxiety, etc. are like candidates campaigning to be elected for the position of being your emotional response to the challenges of daily life and relationships.

In my counseling practice, I have had many clients for whom anger is the reigning incumbent, heavyweight champ of emotions. Anger had been their usual candidate of choice, in large part because anger simply had a very familiar feeling to them, after having been a default emotional response for such a long time.

Ask yourself if anger has been the reigning, incumbent champ of your emotions. Does having an angry state of being feel real familiar to you … almost comfortable?

If feelings of anger are knocking on your door, asking to be elected as your emotional response to dealing with the fact that your candidate for President lost, there are a couple of things you should know about Anger's track record, so that you can choose wisely:

1. Anger acts as an instant and very effective, short-term, painkiller to hurt feelings. Anger rushes in and switches the person's focus from feeling hurt or emotional pain, to self-preservation, and to take whatever actions are necessary to shut down or prevent any further emotional or physical injury.